Xbox One Vs. PS4: Next-Gen Consoles May Be Close In Sales

The Xbox One and PS4 are close in sales. Photo: Courtesy/Sony/Microsoft

Microsoft and Sony may be doing about the same in sales with the next-gen Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Microsoft recently revealed that the Xbox One shipped 3.9 million consoles to retailers by Dec. 31, while Sony managed to move 4.2 million systems to buyers in the same time frame.

News reports tell an inconsistent story – one day Sony is outdoing Microsoft, the next day Microsoft has the edge over Sony. However, sales figures don’t lie. Though both systems were largely unable to meet consumer demand on Black Friday and during the holiday season in 2013, both competitors are selling pretty well.

Last year, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) sold more than 1 million Xbox One gaming systems in the first 24 hours on Nov. 22. The console hit shelves in 13 countries and was priced at $499 in the U.S. The Xbox One went on sale in Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Ireland, Mexico, the U.K., the U.S. and Australia. The corporation was forced to eliminate eight countries from its original sales list due to quality and production conflicts.

One week earlier, the Sony PS4 sold more than 1 million units on Nov. 15. In early January, Sony president and group CEO Andrew House revealed that 4.2 million PlayStation 4s have been sold worldwide as of Dec. 28, 2013. House made the announcement at the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Japanese electronics brand added that the PS4 was its most successful console launch of all time.

“The momentum of the PS4 system keeps getting stronger and we couldn't be more thrilled gamers worldwide are enjoying the incredibly immersive gaming experiences along with deep social capabilities and entertainment provided by our network,” House stated. “After a remarkable launch, we look forward to bringing even more exciting content and continuing to explore the power of the PS4 system by adding new features and services, including PlayStation Now, in 2014.”

Microsoft chief marketing and strategy officer Yusuf Mehdi also made an announcement about the Xbox One in early January. “Over 3 million Xbox One consoles were sold to consumers in 13 countries before the end of 2013,” he said. “Since our launch, demand for Xbox One has been strong, selling out throughout the holidays at most retailers worldwide. We are continuing to work hard to deliver additional consoles to retailers as fast as possible. Together, we ushered in a new era of games and entertainment with Xbox One.”

Only time will tell which system will truly outsell the other. Are you a PS4 or Xbox One fan? Leave a comment below.